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The differences between field electrical engineers and instrumentation engineers can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. It typically takes 1-2 years to become both a field electrical engineer and an instrumentation engineer. Additionally, an instrumentation engineer has an average salary of $88,783, which is higher than the $86,347 average annual salary of a field electrical engineer.
The top three skills for a field electrical engineer include electrical systems, oil gas and control systems. The most important skills for an instrumentation engineer are PLC, autocad, and analyzers.
| Field Electrical Engineer | Instrumentation Engineer | |
| Yearly salary | $86,347 | $88,783 |
| Hourly rate | $41.51 | $42.68 |
| Growth rate | 3% | 3% |
| Number of jobs | 97,684 | 45,735 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 68% | Bachelor's Degree, 79% |
| Average age | 45 | 45 |
| Years of experience | 2 | 2 |
Buildings must be safe especially in term of wirings for electricity. This aspect is the main job of a field electrical engineer. Possessing enough mathematical, chemistry and physics knowledge, they work hand in hand with construction workers to develop safe and equitable electrical system of any building. They also test machines for any defect and design and develop new systems to further enhance safety. They have the necessary ability to solve any damage to equipment.
An instrumentation engineer specializes in designing and developing equipment to optimize business processes. Their responsibilities revolve around performing research and analysis to identify the needs of a company, coordinating with different departments to gather data, devising strategies to create new processes, and preparing reports and presentations for the executives. An instrumentation engineer mostly performs installations and repairs; they also conduct regular maintenance to ensure the efficiency of facilities. Furthermore, they must answer inquiries and resolve issues and concerns, all in adherence to the company's policies and regulations.
Field electrical engineers and instrumentation engineers have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Field Electrical Engineer | Instrumentation Engineer | |
| Average salary | $86,347 | $88,783 |
| Salary range | Between $67,000 And $111,000 | Between $65,000 And $119,000 |
| Highest paying City | Vancouver, WA | Cupertino, CA |
| Highest paying state | New Jersey | California |
| Best paying company | Amazon | Apple |
| Best paying industry | Energy | Government |
There are a few differences between a field electrical engineer and an instrumentation engineer in terms of educational background:
| Field Electrical Engineer | Instrumentation Engineer | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 68% | Bachelor's Degree, 79% |
| Most common major | Electrical Engineering | Electrical Engineering |
| Most common college | Michigan Technological University | Michigan Technological University |
Here are the differences between field electrical engineers' and instrumentation engineers' demographics:
| Field Electrical Engineer | Instrumentation Engineer | |
| Average age | 45 | 45 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 94.2% Female, 5.8% | Male, 91.2% Female, 8.8% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 5.0% Unknown, 4.7% Hispanic or Latino, 11.6% Asian, 14.3% White, 64.2% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.2% | Black or African American, 4.9% Unknown, 4.7% Hispanic or Latino, 11.5% Asian, 15.5% White, 63.2% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.2% |
| LGBT Percentage | 6% | 6% |